Automatic cutting machine for bricks or the like



Oct. 25, 1938. L. POUSSEL- 2,134,374

AUTOMATIC CUTTING MACHINE FOR BRICKS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 31, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR= LEOPOLD POUSSE L ATTONEYLS Oct. 25, 1938.-

POU-SSEL AUTOMATIC CUTTING MACHINE FOR BRICKS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug-31, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 25, 1938. L. .POUSSEL I 2,134,374

AUTOMATIC CUTTING MACHINE FCR BRICKS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 31, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 5 a 7Z 3% Q INVENTOR= LEOPOLD PUUSSEL BY WMO ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 25, 1938 n i 7 AUTOMATIC CUTTING MACVIRIYINEIFOR' BRICKS OR THE LIKE Application August 31, 1937, Serial No. 161,761 In France-September 4, 1936 V 14 Claims. (01. 25-1 10) L i The object of the invention consists in immounting in transverse section along the line provements in the automatic cutting machines IV-IV oi jFig.';3; v a for solid or tubular bricks and all extruded Fig. shows on a reduced'sc'ale a partial eleproducts, described in French Patent No. 787.349 vation of the whole arrangement of an autodated 8th March, 1935. matic cutter provided with the improvements 5 Experience has shown that although the rewhich justify the present application for patent; suits obtained with the above-mentioned auto- Fig. 6is'a plan view of Fig; 5'with parts in.

matic cutting machines were very much better tentionally cut away to enable the novel memthan with the similar known machines, it was, bers which characterize-the invention to be however, advisable to make some improvements, seen; i i g 10 in particular in the wire carriers, so as to ob- Fig. 7, which is diagrammatic,'showsa side tain in a practical manner: view of the compensating device utilized for 1. A momentarily greater tension of the cutmaking the movement of the automatic cutter ting wires as they penetrate into the massof even. clay forming the brick or other extruded prod- Referring to Fig. 1,' which reproduces dianot; grammatically the principle of the invention 2. The definite avoidance of the cutting wires described in French Patent No. 787.349 dated fouling each other at their point of intersection; 8th March, 1935, it will be observed that the 3. The guiding of the wires at the beginning axes-line I of the circle I ,is larger than the 26 of the cutting and, finally, line '2 '0f the circle 2, and thatowing to this i 4. Modification of the mounting and them fact the wire 1 will be progressively subjected tation device of one of the rings of the cutting to" variations of length with likewise variable machine to decrease the driving force andalso tension according to whether it-passes on the the wear and also'to ensure an even operation rightior on the left of the centre line BC.

of the cutting machine of which the driving It will readily be'seenin said figure that the 25 power is solely supplied by the feed of the strip wire 'lis longer on the right than on the' left; of clay issuing from the extrusion plate. this variation is essentiallyobtained by the in Such are the exact objects of the presentinternal arrangement of the movable wire'carrier vention which is characterized: mountin-gs which form one ofthe features of 0 1.'By cutting wire carriers which have movthe invention; said mountings enable' the wire able mountings producing a tension of the cut- 1 to have the maximum tension at the instant ting wires which is always the same'and which when it penetrates into the mass Aof the clay avoid, by their shape, said wires fouling each which it has to out, said tension esentially avoidother; ing the deformations which said wire would 2. By a chain connecting the two drums have if it were not subjected to said tension. 35 placed at each of the two ends of a conveyor belt When the cutting is completed I the wire 1 driven by the strip of clay issuing from the which. returns towards the leftfwill be sub-' extruding plate and also driving the cutter. jected to a progressive s'lackening without, for

These improvements are shown in the accom that reason, becoming deformed and the same 40 panying drawings which are-given by way of cycle will recur'indefinitely so long as the cut- 40 explanation and which can also serve as an exter is actuated} but" it will be observed (Fig. 5) ample or" construction of one of the embodithat the circles l and ifh'ave the same diameter,

ments of the object of the invention; only those of the axes lines which determine the In said drawings: fixing points of the mo able mountings being I Fig. 1, which is essentially diagrammatic, different. 7 g H V 45 shows how the tension of the cutting wires is These variations of lengths which are essenprogressively and momentarily obtained at'the tially bou d Wi h va i ns o tension of instant when they become operative, said tenthewiie's are'c'aused by the mountings shown sion necessitating movable mountings; in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

Figs. 2 and 3 show respectively and on a large Each of said mountings' is formed by a trun- 50 scale a view in longitudinal section of a movnion 2t freelyrotating in a sleeve 2| passing able wire carrier mounting, first in its slack porO t limbs s: 5 and 6) of each of sition and then in its position of maximum tenthe rings .l and 2. The trunnion 20 is secured ign; to a half-round part 23 each of the sides 24 and Fig. 4 shows a front view of said wire carrier 25 of which forms a right-angle having an ori- 55' fice therein in which passes a rod 26 of different diameters and threaded, and which forms both an assembly part on which a second part 21, likewise rounded and having flanges 24 and 24 can move, and a support for a retracting spring 28 lodged in the inner space formed by the juxtaposition of the part 21 on the part 23. The part 21 is provided with a boss 29 and a hook 30 on which is fixed one of the ends of the cutting wire I. i

The disc 2 (Fig. rotateson a trunnion 3|, whereas the ring I always rotateson rollers l-'4.

Two slides 32 mounted on the bar 33, each adjustably hold a rod 34 against the wires 1 "when the latter are about to penetrate into the mass A of clay to be cut.

Said mass A of clay (Fig. 7) issues'in ea calibrated state from the extruding plate 31, and

' immediately comes into contact with an, endless belt 38 forming a conveyor producing the minimum friction owing to its construction. The thrust exerted on the strip A to enable it to issue from the extruding plate 3'! drives the belt 38 and therebycausesthedrumsfl39 and to rotate. Thedrum is fitted either with gears or with a belt for actuating thediscs l and 2 of the cutter (Figs. .5 and '6); but experience has shown that the drive of the belt 38 which .is effected solely by the thrust of ;theclay A determines an irregular rotation of the drum 40.

7 Such irregularity is caused by the fact that the drive of the cutter encounters different resistances. Thus.at the instant when the cutting wires penetrate into the strip A of clay to cut same the resistance to driving of the disc 1 is greater thanwhen the wire has come out of the stripA; 'at the/instant of said resistance the belt 38 driving the drum 4D is also subjected to said resistanceandas it is always pushed by the movement of the strip Aof clay it is subjected to a compression effect which, without exactly producingslipping, causes however aloss of speed whichis detrimental tothecutter. -These phenomena would not take place if this same belt were subjected to a pulling effect exerted on the lowerside, in the direction :of the arrow 41, but this arrangement cannot be considered in practice.

These drawbacksare now eliminated by the addition of a simple .chain 42 connecting the drum 39 to the drum 40. Itwill be understood that as soon as the mass or :strip A of clay comes into contact with the .drum 38 its rotation is immediately transmitted in a positive manner by the chain .42 to the drum 40.

Said chain acts in this case as a compensator avoiding the above-mentioned effects of compression of the belt 38. The drum 4!! thus actuates through the instrumentality of gears, a chain or a belt, the driving wheel 43 of the discs land 2 of the cutter and the disc 44 of the conveyor 45, with or without a separator of known system and operation, and the whole arrangement then operates 'in the normal .and regular manner desired. 7

The operation of the wire carriers is as follows:

The rings 1 and 2 :(Fig. 5), whichalways rotate at the same speed in the same direction (arrows 35), bring each of the cutting wires 1 above the mass A of clay which is driven in the direction of the arrow 35 (Fig. '6); the wire .I (Fig. 5) which is about 'to penetrate into the clay to cut same operates under particularconditions: it is first -of all stretched to its maximum according to the principle shown in Fig. 1 and then bears on each of the rods 34 (position of the wire shown in dotted lines) thereby avoiding ment of translation in the opposite direction caused by the rotation of the disc 2, each of the opposite ends of said wires then passing above the bosses 29 (Fig. 6) of the wire carrier mountings and the fouling of the wires by intersection is thus definitely avoided.

By means of'these improvements made in the mountings of the wires and by those made in the even drive of the cutter, a considerable progress is effected in this kind of apparatus which is justified by the novel results obtained, which l. :Decreaseof the driving power of the cutter by-reducing the friction 'of one of the rings which rotates on-a shaft instead of rotating on rollers;

2. Better utilization of the cutting wires which always have .a :maximum tension obtained automatically at the instant of the cutting, thereby always effecting -a .f-rank and perfectly perpendicular cut;

;3. Holding of the wire at the instant of cut-.- ting by -.meansof the adjustable bearing fingers;

4. Elimination of the danger of the cutting wires fouling. each other at the instant when they intersect;

5. Even drive of the wire carrier rings of the cutter in spite of the variations of resistance encountered. V i

Howeven'these improvements could vary in their shapes :and dimensions as well as in the nature of the metals used for their manufacture without, for that reason, changing the general arrangement of the invention which has just been described.-

I claim:

-1. A machine for cutting bricks and any extruded material, comprising in combination a conveyor belt to receive the-extruded material as itissues from the extruding orifice and adapted to be driven by said material, a frame rigidly supported "adjacent said'conveyor belt, a shaft secured to said frame,.a disc rotatably mounted on said shaft-,an annulus arranged substantially parallel with said disc and'having itscentre longitudinally spaced from the centre of said disc,.

a plurality of rollers mounted on said frame and adapted to :bear on the inner periphery of said annulus so that it is rotatable thereon, said conveyor =belt,passing through said annulus, a plurality of cutting wires extending between said disc and said annulus, means for connecting the endsof said cutting wires to said disc and said annulus, the points of connection of said wires being spaced along the circumferences of circles concentric with the circumferences of said disc and said annulus respectively, and means for rotating said disc-and said annulus in the same direction by said conveyor, said disc, annulus and means for connecting the wires .thereto serving as means for progressively and automatically varying the" tension of-each of said wires in such a manner that said tension is at its maximum asthe wire penetrates into said material.

2. A machine for cutting bricks and any extruded material, comprising in combination a pair :of spindles spaced 'apart below the extruded material, a drum and a sprocket wheel secured to said drum rotatably mounted on each of said spindles, an endless belt mounted on said drums to receive said material as it issues from the extruding orifice and adapted to be driven by said material, an endless chain mounted on said sprocket wheels, a frame rigidly supported adpacent said conveyor belt, a shaft secured to said frame, a disc rotatably mounted on said shaft, an annulus arranged substantially parallel with said disc and having its centre longitudinally spaced from the centre of said disc, a plurality of rollers mounted on said frame and adapted to bear on the inner periphery of said annulus so that it is rotatable thereon, said conveyor belt passing through said annulus, a plurality of cutting wires extending between said disc and said annulus, means for connecting the ends of said wires to said disc and said annulus, the points of connection of the wires being spaced along the circumferences of circles concentric with the circumferences of said disc and said annulus respectively, and means for rotating said disc and said annulus in the same direction by said conveyor, said disc, annulus and means for connecting the wires thereto serving as means for progressively and automatically varying the tension of each of said wires in such a manner that said tension is at its maximum as the wire penetrates into said material.

3. A machine for cutting bricks and any extruded material, comprising in combination a conveyor belt to receive the extruded material as it issues from the extruding orifice and adapted to be driven by said material, a frame rigidly supported adjacent said conveyor belt, a shaft secured to said frame, a disc rotatably mounted on said shaft, an annulus arranged substantially parallel with said disc and having its centre longitudinally spaced from the centre of 'said disc, a plurality of rollers mounted on said frame and adapted to bear on the inner periphery of said annulus so that it is rotatable thereon, said conveyor belt passing through said annulus, means for rotating said disc and said annulus in the same direction by said conveyor, said disc and said annulus having a plurality of holes spaced along the circumference of circles concentric with the circumferences of said disc and said annulus respectively and of different diameter on the disc and on the annulus, a bushing fixed in each of said holes, a trunnion mounted in said bushing, a U-shaped member secured to one end of said trunnion and having a hole in each lateral end, a second U-shaped member having a hole in each lateral end and invertedly positioned in the first U-shaped member so that the holes of said two members register, a rod passing through said holes, means for rigidly securing said rod to said first U-shaped member, said second U-shaped member being adapted to slide on said rod, resilient means interposed between one of the lateral ends of each U-shaped member to urge said ends towards each other, a boss on the top side of said second member, a hook on said second member, a plurality of cutting wires extending between said disc and said annulus and having their respective ends attached to the corresponding hooks of said second members on the disc and the annulus, and means for preventing the lateral flexing of said wires when they penetrate into said material.

4. A machine for cutting bricks and any extruded material, comprising in combination a conveyor belt to receive the extruded material as it issues from the extruding orifice and adapted to be driven by said material, a frame rigidly suported adjacent said conveyor belt, a shaft secured to said frame, a disc rotatably mounted on said shaft, an annulus arranged substantially parallel with said disc and having its centre longitudinally spaced from the centre of said disc, a plurality of rollers mounted on said frame and adapted to bear on the inner periphery of said annulus so that it is rotatable thereon, said conveyor belt passing through said annulus, means for rotating said disc and said annulus in the same direction by said conveyor, said disc and said annulus having a plurality of holes spaced around the circumference of circles concentric with the circumference of said disc and said annulus respectively, and of diiferent diameter on the disc and on the annulus, a bushing fixed in each of said holes, a trunnion mounted in said bushing, a U-shaped member secured to one end of said trunnion and having a hole in each lateral end, a second U-shaped member having a hole on each lateral end and invertedly positioned in the first U-shaped member so that the holes of said two members register, a rod passing through said holes, means for rigidly securing said rod to said first U-shaped member, said second U-shaped member being adapted to slide on said rod, resilient means interposed between one of the lateral ends of each of said U-shaped members to urge said ends towards each other, a boss on the top side of said second member, a hook on said second member, a plurality of cutting wires extending between said disc and said annulus and having their respective ends attached to the corresponding hooks on said disc and said annulus, a bar secured to said frame, 'a plurality of members slidably mounted on said bar, and a finger resiliently mounted on each of said members and located so that said fingers bear on said wires when the latter are about to penetrate into said material.

LEOPOLD POUSSEL. 

